From space exploration to commercialisation

Abstract

Space exploration has captured the imagination and dreams of many scientists, engineers and visionaries.The ISS is being built by five ISS partners; NASA, RSA, ESA, CSA and JAXA. ISS commercialisation is the process by which ISS products and services are sold to private companies, without transferring ISS ownership. This thesis has two objectives; to propose a collaboration between space agencies and commercial partners and to describe and predict strategic and market developments in ISS commercialisation. The methodology used in this research is typically case-based and collaboration creation is chosen as a major research subject for this thesis. ISS commercialisation is characterised by a cooperative oligopoly: emerging ISS markets and dependence on Russia for regular ISS access. The expected growth of the space tourism, sponsorship markets and the creation of privately funded transportation vehicles (i.e. SpaceShipOne) are some of the current market developments. Cooperative oligopoly is the expected market structure for the future ISS commercial environment. A joint venture for high market demand for ISS products and services and a licensing agreement for medium market demand are the proposed collaborations. These collaborations can also be applied for ISS partners' Moon and Mars space-exploration, navigation, earth observation and technology transfer programmes. Today's ISS commercialisation can become the basis for tomorrow's partial commercial exploitation on interplanetary space missions.